Rick Fines - BIO & History
Artist Information
At 47, Rick Fines is a veteran of the folk and blues circuits in North America.
In October 2005 Rick went to Alabama where he took first place in the Sweetgum Bottom Acoustic Blues Competition. His song “Riley Wants His Life Back” won first place in the blues category of 2003 International Songwriting Competition, with B.B. King one of the judges!
He won the MapleBlues Award for Songwriter of the Year last year, Acoustic Act Of The Year twice (98, 99), and has received eight additional nominations.
His work with Jackson Delta (for 15 years) brought nominations from both the Juno and the Handy Awards. He has played for legendary blues piano player Pinetop Perkins, songstress Colleen Peterson, folk icon Penny Lang and many others.
He toured from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic, from B.C. to NYC last year alone, bringing his understanding of blues, finger-style and bottleneck guitar.
In addition to a busy touring schedule, Fines conducts classes and workshops. For several years now he has taught fingerstyle guitar at the Haliburton School of the Arts and blues guitar at Kincardine Summer Music Festival in Ontario and Hornby Island Blues Workshop in British Columbia. He also works with kids as part of the Blues In The Schools programs in Ottawa, Saskatoon, Toronto and Fredericton.
Instrumentation
Rick Fines (Solo) - guitars and vocal
or with:
Suzie Vinnick - guitar, bass, vocal
or trio:
Rob Phillips - piano, vocal
Richard Simpkins - string bass, vocal
Other friends compliment the trio with drums, guitar, trumpet, harmonica, etc. on occasion
This year Rick thanks the Ontario Arts Council for financial assistance with Blues In The Schools guitar and songwriting programs that took place in schools throughout Ontario.
Discography
Self-produced
- 2006- Rick Fines - Solar Powered & Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick - Nothing Halfway
- 2003 - The Rick Fines Trio - Riley Wants His Life Back
- 2001 - Rick Fines and Friends - Live at the Harvest
- 1998 - Rick Fines - Out of the Living Room
- 1996 - Rick Fines - Arcadia
- 1995 - Rick Fines -Bootleg
- 1996 - Rob Watson and Jackson Delta Electric Live & Rick Fines - Arcadia
- 1992 - Jackson Delta - I Was Just Thinking That
- 1991 - Jackson Delta - Lookin' Back
- 1989 - Jackson Delta - Acoustic Blues
- 1988 - Jackson Delta - Delta Sunrise
Others
- 2000 - Tamarack - Spirit and Stone
- 1998 - Dario Domingues - Los Vibrantes
- 1997 - Tamarack - 13
- 1996 - Rob Watson and Jackson Delta Electric Live
- 1994 - Suzie Vinnick - Angel In The Sidelines
